Connecting to MRLS' Free Wireless Service

Your computer or other mobile device may be capable of making a wireless connection to our hotspots automatically. Test for an internet connection before attempting to make any changes to your settings. If you are using Windows, look for the wireless network connection icon in the "taskbar" at the bottom right of your screen.

In Windows XP, it looks like the picture on the right. If you are connected to a wireless access point, the "radio waves" on the icon should be green. If you locate the wireless network connection icon in the taskbar and hold the mouse pointer over it for a few seconds, a "balloon tip" will pop up that will give you the name of the network you are connected to and the signal strength. The names of our networks vary by branch, but they all contain the word "library". Once you have established that you have a connection to the library's access point, there is a further step that is required to obtain access to the Internet.

There is no password necessary to connect to our wireless service; however, to get access to the Internet, you must first open up your browser software. If you are using Windows, your internet browser is probably either Internet Explorer or Firefox; if you are using an Apple device, it is probably Safari. When you open up an internet browser, you will be directed to the MRLS greeting page for the wireless service, where you will find links to our Internet Acceptable Use, Internet Use Rules of Conduct and Public Wireless Use policies. Please read these policies carefully before proceeding.

To obtain internet access, you must click on the "Accept the Policies and Log In" button at the bottom of the greeting page. By doing so, you are agreeing to abide by the aforementioned Mountain Regional Library System policies. You must follow this step in order to gain internet access even if you do not plan to visit a webpage. For example, even if you only want to check emails using a program such as Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird, you must first establish an internet connection by starting at the library's greeting page.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If the wireless network connection icon has a red x over it, this means that your computer is not connected to a wireless access point. Try right-clicking on the icon and selecting "View Available Wireless Networks". This should produce a list of all the wireless networks Windows is detecting. If the library's network is in the list, highlight it and click the Connect button, and click the Connect Anyway button if you receive a warning that it is an unsecured network (it is "unsecured" because no password is required to connect).
• You may also right-click the wireless network connection icon and select "Repair". Windows will go through a series of steps to repair your connection.
• Some laptops will shut down your wireless card to save energy if your battery is low. You may want to check to see if this is the case. Most laptops also have a key combination that turns off the wireless function, for example, pressing and holding the (blue) fn key while pressing another key may disable your wireless card. You may want to check to see if you have inadvertently turned off your wireless.
• Finally, if you are comfortable altering the network settings of your device, check to make sure that it is set to obtain an IP address automatically. In Windows, right-click on the wireless network connection icon and select "Open Network Connections". Right-click on the wireless connection icon and select "Properties". In the list under "This connection uses the following items:", highlight "Internet Protocol TCP/IP" and click the Properties button. Make sure that the radio buttons next to "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically" are selected and click the OK button. It is always a good practice to write down your settings before you change them, so that you can restore them later.